


Out of Water but it's still Home

by Daichan795



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Animals really like Ethan, Brian is a cat, Brian knows all, Ethan can talk to animals, Ethan has magic, Ethan is too pure, Ethan struggles and Brian laughs, Everyone loves Ethan, Gen, Gerald is the helpless owner, LITERALLY, M/M, Mind Links, Phil lester is too pure for this world, being human is hard, but is also done with everyone, lots of sillyness and fluff, mermaid Ethan, mermaid au, oblivous Ethan, possible crankiplier, possible cranksepticeye, possible septiplier, possible tythan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-11 07:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daichan795/pseuds/Daichan795
Summary: Ethan always wanted to meet the people playing in the ocean water, only watching from afar in his little cove beneath the rocks, hidden from sight. When his friend Brian, a very sarcastic cat that lives near the beach, gives him an idea on how to get legs, he immediately takes the chance. It's only for a little while, it couldn't hurt to play human right?In which Ethan’s an oblivious mermaid pretending to be human, Brian and Chica are the only ones in the know, a couple of people begin to fall in love, Phil is too pure for this world, and Gerald didn’t deserve any of this.**please read author's note! Thank you ^^**





	Out of Water but it's still Home

**Author's Note:**

> **IMPORTANT*** While this is the first chapter, it will act more as a teaser for you guys since it will be a while since this specific work will be updated. I promise that once I finish my other stories that I will put my focus into this one ^^ Thank you for understanding and being patient with me.
> 
> As for now, please feel free to share your opinions and ideas, I'm always up to listening. This work in specific will focus on your comments for what the pairings (or added pairings?) will be! Poly-relationships are accepted as well. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and please enjoy ^^
> 
> (note will be deleted in the next update)

Echoes vibrated soothingly through the walls of a small cove, hidden behind large rock forms merged with the salty ocean water. A small opening, only spotted with a keen eye, was the only source of sunlight for the cove, offering a secret view of the peaceful sandy beach. A perfect place undisturbed by the humans and creatures alike.

Or it would have been, if Ethan allowed it.

He called the cove his ‘cave a wonder.’ Not because the cove itself held secrets and mysteries carved within its wall (however the space was indeed beautiful, colours of blue and green danced across the pool of water, basked with the little light from the sun and the imbedded crystals on the walls glowing faintly above his head). No, the cove instead allowed Ethan a safe space where he can wonder out loud and observe. Observe the creatures that played in the sand and swam in the ocean. The humans that called the land above their home.

He watched them run across the beach and dive into the cold water, both young and old basking under the sun while others created fascinating sculptures with the wet sand. It was an assortment of interesting characters, looking none alike and yet held the similar sense of content. He never got tired of looking at them. Ethan's own people stayed away from humans, lying deep beneath the ocean floor where no human eye, or net, has ever reached before. They were cautious and mistrustful, treating humans as such.

However, Ethan did not follow them. He was not delusional in the slightest, he knew what humans were capable of. The waves of nets, the stings of pointed rods thrown harshly in the water, the lust and greed shining through dark eyes as they scanned the surface in their looming boats. He knew of the danger. But he also knew of their kindness. Lying in that cove has shown him what humans can be, and he realised, just like any other creature, they were capable of feelings. Strange, and complex, but nonetheless the same as him.

So he stayed, and called this beach his home. Contently lying in the beautiful cave, watching and dreaming. That day was no different. Ethan glided gracefully through the ocean current diving low until he reached a small crack in the rock, skillfully squeezing through and floated freely upwards. He broke through the surface with a laugh, water dripping freely from his glistening blue hair. He brushed a few locks away from his face before making his way to the small flat patch of rock in the cove, huffing as he pushed his upper body onto the damp surface. He flopped over with a sigh, propping his chin with both hands to peer comfortably through his peeping hole.

It was pretty big actually, large enough for a small person to squeeze through, however it blended perfectly with the rocks that it looked more like a formation or a carving than anything else.

Ethan grinned, the familiar sound of the waves and the laughing of people filled his surrounding. Families and children covered the beach, appearing fairly crowded, way more than he was used to. He took no mind to it, only finding the company fascinating.

His tail splashed excitingly in the water once he catched a glimpse of a few particular humans lounging near the shore, looking ready to play some sort of game with a high strung net and a ball. These humans usually came around that time, always in the same spot. Their playfulness and vibrant personality catches Ethan’s attention, and they easily became one of his favourite humans to observe. There were only three of them he recognised out of the usual group of six that day, playing with some other humans he barely remembered. He focused on the ones he knew; a tall curly haired man holding the ball above everyone’s head, a dark haired man looking rather annoyed at the giant, and a green haired man (which Ethan squealed at once he saw the colour the first time he noticed him) wearing an easy going smirk.

He lied on his arms with a sigh as he watched them play their weird game, lazily gliding his tail through the surface of the water. He would have stayed in that position for the rest of the day if a familiar sound did not startle him from his peace. The pounding of sand filled his cove as a blur of black flittered through his secret opening. It stopped right in front of him and paused, plopping down near the edge of the rock with a flourish.

“Brian!” Ethan exclaimed, smiling brightly at seeing his cat friend deciding to come and visit him.

 _‘Hey, loser.’_ Brian merely replied, dodging the splashes of water by Ethan’s excitement with a grimace. He got himself comfortable, stretching his body over the slightly damped surface with a yawn. _‘Just had a nap and I decided to come to the beach for an afternoon walk.’_

Ethan rolled his eyes, “Yeah, right. You just wanted to come see me!”

The other snorted, _‘You’re delusional.’_ He flicked his ear. _‘So what’s new, blue boy?’_

“Nothing much, just watching the guys.”

 _‘Ah, yes. The guys.’_ Brian muttered, shaking his paw to get rid of the dirt tuck between the pads. He grumbled out loud as he lifted his paw up and tried to lick it clean, ignoring Ethan's stare as he groomed himself. The blue boy couldn't help himself, he found everything he didn't know exciting.

He was lucky that his friend lived so near the ocean, he could see the house peeking above the cliffs if he jumped high enough (he tried once but Brian scolded him afterwards once he found out). The cat acted like his connection the surface world, telling stories and answering any questions Ethan asked. He never admitted it, but Brian also helped when when the cove becomes cold and he felt alone. He cherished their friendship and always felt happy when the feline came down the beach to talk with him, even if it was only to complain.

“What about you, what did you do? How's your servant?” Ethan asked in a rush, pushing his body back into the water to give the other more space.

Brian smirked, _‘Ah, Gordon. Always a pleasure. He finally got the correct food for me, took him awhile. I even generously gave him clues. Oh well, I did take him in after all.’_

Ethan nodded his head, “At least he got it! What else?”

Brian paused his licking in thought. _‘Hmm, he also came back from the store, you know a place to get food and materials, and he brought a lot of party decoration. There's going to be a lot of people in my home, huh. Well that sucks.’_ He answered, mumbling the last part to himself. He rolled his eyes at the way Ethan practically sparkled, vibrating softly enough to create small ripples in the water. He forgot how easily excited the blue boy was.

“Wow, a party! That thing where you eat, drink, and play, uhhh…music? Right? That's so cool! I wish I could see that.” Ethan sighed dreamily, picturing what a party would look like. The cat was sure it was all wrong. _‘You're not missing much, trust me.’_

“Well, how would I know if I never experienced it. Huh, did you ever think of that Brian?!”

 _'Then magic some legs and see for yourself then.’_ Brian retorted, rolling his eyes at the other’s display. He continued with his grooming, perfectly capable of ignoring all the squealing and exaggerated that Ethan might create. He only paused after he noticed the other had gone silent. He sent the boy a questioningly glance, unnerved by the sudden look of concentration on their face.

He flinched when Ethan suddenly jumped, the boy smacking himself with a groan. “Why didn't I think of that? Stupid, stupid!”

Brian blinked. _‘I was joking…wait, you can do that? Seriously?’_

Ethan grinned “Yeah! I just need to know what legs are.” At Brian's deadpan expression he elaborated “I mean, like how it works and what they're made of. That way I can focus on those elements and change the matter of my tail!” He lifted up said appendage with a huff and waved it enthusiastically at Brian, colours of blue and green gleaming brightly under the light’s rays.

The whole concept left the cat dizzy, and decided that it was kind of ridiculous _‘What, do I need to bring you a severed leg or something?’_

“What? No! Nothing like that!” Ethan replied, horrified at the thought of seeing his friend drag a bloody limb to his home. “I was thinking maybe you can tell me more about them?”

Brian thought about it before shaking his head, _‘Sorry, I'm not a doctor. Can't help you on that.’_

Ethan visibly deflated, his tail slowly dropping back into the water. However he shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “Oh well! Can't be helped, I probably would have made a shitty human anyways haha.”

Brian frowned at the response, moving until he sat back up straight. He could tell that the thought had excited the mermaid (merman?) and tried to put up a brave front when the idea seemed far fetched. And Brian wasn't very keen on the idea either. Even if Ethan was able to get legs, what then? He doesn't know the first thing about human society, it's probably going to end in a train wreck.

But, it's not like he was going to go on his own, Brian can teach him some things. He knew that his friend always watched the people on the beach with a sense of longing. Not to be one of them, but to have a taste, to try all the fascinating things he sees in his little cove. He told Brian that he wanted to make friends, to have something to look forward to other than peeking through cracks. Just how he looked forward to seeing Brian everyday.

Damn, the kid got him to feel.

He sighed, feeling his resolves crumble. Well, if the blue boy needs information on human anatomy then he knows where to get it. After all, it would only be for a little while, right?

 _’What if,’_ Brian started, catching the other’s attention, _‘I know where to find another source that might help you? I can bring it down here and we can try to grow some legs on you.’_

Ethan blinked, eyes wide as the information in. He blinded Brian with a large smile, surging forward to where his face hovered over the cat’s head. “Really?! You will do that? Oh, thanks Brian, you're the best!”

 _‘Yeah, yeah. I know.’_ The cat replied, fighting down his own smile at the way Ethan glowed with happiness. _‘Then I'll be off. Make sure not to do anything stupid, stupid.’_ He smirked at Ethan's offended cry as he maneuvered around the cave, easily slipping through the secret opening and onto the sandy beach.

He carefully moved on the sand, wary of the volleyball flying back and forth. He registered some of the faces on the makeshift court, briefly remembering that they are Gerald’s friends. _‘These are the ones Ethan watches all the time.’_ He lingered for a little bit, taking in their excited cheers and cries of frustration as they played. The large one, Tyler he believed, tackled Mark and Jack to the ground with a battle cry, sending them spiraling in the sand as the others roared with laughter.

Brian shook his head, _‘Don’t see the appeal’_

The trek to his house was not far, his home lied above the cliff over the hidden cove. The path was windy and annoying to walk, the sand piling up the more he climbed. He jumped over the front steps to the door, pushing through the small flaps of his cat door (which he refused to call a doggy door, even if that’s exactly what is was) with ease.

He heard a familiar voice in the living room and Brian realised that his servant was home. Oh, this was too perfect. He smirked, giving a few licks to clean his fur from the dust and sand before sauntering over to the living room. Woah and behold, there Gerald was, walking back and forth around his coffee table, speaking into a talking device. He sounded excited, and with what Brian could pick up, the other person was too.

“-And it would be great if you and Dan could come. You know, so you guys could catch up with the rest of the squad.” Brian felt himself vomit at that word. “What do you say, dude!”

“Sounds like fun, I’ll see if Dan wants to go. It’ll be like an end of the school year party!” The other voice replied, and Brian immediately recognised it as Phil Lester. He liked that boy, he would gently pet Brian whenever he came over and knew when to leave him alone. He was perhaps one of the nicest people he ever had the pleasure of meeting, and seemed genuine about it too. Brian also found it stupid and a little endearing that Phil even tried to get along with him, considering that the other was allergic to cats.

The black cat sat down on the soft carpet and listened in on the conversation, slowly picking up on what’s going on. _‘Ah, he’s inviting people to his party. When is it, this weekend? Ugh, only two days away.’_ Luckily, it was a small party consisting of Gerald’s closest friends, but it still felt like a chore. Too many people in his space, And he had to -ugh- behave himself. He really wished he had someone to share his misery with.

 _‘That’s it!’_ He exclaimed, loud enough to where Gerald turned from his phone call and finally noticed him. “Oh, hey buddy. Had a good walk?”

Brian merely meowed, a smirk making its way onto his face. Good, he has his attention. The cat stretched lazily, a yawn escaping his lips before he trotted to the bookcase. He scanned the shelves, smirk widening at Gerald questioning stare. He let out a pleased meow after he found the book, swiping the whole upper shelf to get it. Just to be extra.

“Hey, Girbeagly! What the heck?”

Brian ignored him as he walked through the mess, carefully taking the important book into his mouth. He made a show of swiping the other books out of his path as he trotted to the entrance. He looked back, relishing at Gerald’s gaping mouth.

He meowed over the book, turned around, and gracefully jumped through the cat door.

“Hey, Gerald? Are you still there?” Phil question, his voice low through the speaker. Brian sat on the patio and listened.

Gerald blinked, eyes never leaving the spot his cat just was as he raised the phone to his ear. “Yeah, sorry. Just had to get over the fact that my cat is fucking with me.”

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 _‘Hey Dingus, I'm back.’_ Brian called through the mind link, dropping the book on the floor and flicked it open with his claw. Human letters and words were absolute gibberish to him but he remembered seeing a picture of the human body in this book, catching a glimpse of during one of Gerald's last minute studying. It's the only chance they got.

**Heading up.**

Ah, here comes Ethan.

His body glistened beneath the water, slowly getting closer to the surface before his head bursts out. Droplets of water dropped from his chin and hair as he glided closer to land, little bits of vegetation sticking out in his mouth.

 _‘Afternoon snack?’_ Brian asked, chuckling as Ethan sucked in the rest of the plant in his mouth with a grin.

“You were taking too long and I got hungry.” He replied cheekily, “So is that the thing?”

 _‘Yup, I found the page with the picture of the human body. But I don't know what it says.’_ Brian pushed the book closer to Ethan, tapping the page with his right paw.

Ethan frowned, picking up the book with wet fingers and dragged his eyes slowly across the page. “Uuuuhhhh yeah, no, can't understand a thing. I don't know how to read human writing.”

_‘Well, fuck us right? Now what?’_

Ethan hummed, splashing water with his tail as he thought. The words were definetly impossible for him to read, but maybe he could change that? He lifted up one hand and hovered over the page, hesitantly. Brian watched curiously as Ethan took a small breath, stilling his whole body, before waving his hand gently across the entire book. Strings of light sprung from the air and wrapped around the book. They looped and looped seemed to tighten, squeezing the letters right off the page.

The letters floated above them as they twitched and swirled, morphing into symbols that Brian had never seen before. He watched in amazement as the strings disappeared, the symbols snapped back into the book and lied smoothly within the pages. Ethan's hands returned to gripping the book, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes darted from page to page.

 _‘...What did you do?’_ Brian asked after realising Ethan was not going to explain.

Ethan looked up and shrugged, “I couldn't read it so I changed the words to my language.”

The cat snorted, _‘Yeah, like that's a normal thing to do.’_ He got himself comfortable as Ethan read, already planning what to do after the deed has been done. Most of it had something to do with stealing somewhere, but the blue boy didn't have to know that. After all it's for a good cause.

Ethan let out a victorious noise as he shut the book and tossed it the ground (Brian had a feeling Gerald would not be happy about that). He motioned for Brian to give him space, stretching his arms as far had he could and pulled himself more onto the land. His magnificent tail swished uncertainty in the air as Ethan sighed, pushing up his upper torso once he was fully out of the water.

Brian gasped as Ethan eyes suddenly sparkled; flecks of blue, green, and grey mingled together to create a beautiful storm within his iris. The colour traveled down his form until he was engulfed with light. His tail fully froze, suddenly glowing such an intense blue that Brian had to squint to even look at it. The colours blended and shined, brightness shifting endlessly. With a final burst of light, the energy disappeared.

Brian rubbed his eyes with his paws, mouth falling open at the sight of two pale legs connected with the rest of the body. Ethan breathed slowly, feeling himself smile - before face planting into the rocky floor, his new appendages dangling helplessly in the air.

Brian would have laughed if he wasn't so amazed at what he saw.

_'Holy shit, I can't believe that worked.'_

He observed the boy with a critical eye as Ethan laughed sheepishly to himself. _‘Damn boy,’_ He whistled, _‘You thicc.’_

Ethan peeked through his hair on the floor, shooting the other an uncertain smile. “Um, thanks?”

Brian smirked, finding the reaction appropriate, _‘I may not be human but I know when I see a great ass. And great thighs. Oh, this is better than I thought.’_ Brian waved him off after noticing Ethan looking even more confused, deciding that the blue boy should figure human attraction himself.

‘ _Now,’_ Brian began with a commanding tone, looking down at Ethan with a smile that made him freeze. _‘Time to start the basic traing of being human. It's going to be tough on you and extremely amusing to me.’_

Ethan whined pitifully, already dreading his decision. He tried to stand up, eager to use his new limbs, but he stumbled almost immediately. It was like watching a newborn try to stand, and with Ethan's confused face, it was all the more cute. _‘Starting with standing up and crawling.’_ Brian commented, smirking a very Cheshire like grin.

However, he softened up at seeing Ethan smile despite falling, the awe of actually having legs finally seeking in. Yeah, Brian would make sure his Dingus was safe during his little outing. If things go well, Ethan will have a chance to meet a lot of people all at once. Some very interesting people.

Ethan sent him a determined nod and Brian smiled. _‘Time to start your new life out of water.’_


End file.
